A Night Of Knowing Nothing trailer: Politics, fantasy, emotion come together in this fascinating film

Payal Kapadia’s debut feature A Night Of Knowing Nothing (2021) was premiered at the 74th Cannes Festival and won the L'Œil d'Or, le prix du documentaire (The Golden Eye, The Documentary Prize). After being screened at several festivals across the world, the film is set to be released by Cinema Guild on 11 February at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. An exclusive trailer for the film has been released by Cinema Guild.

The synopsis of the film states, ‘L is a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). She fell in love with K and they decided to be together, but K had to leave back to his home village and the lovers got separated.’

Melding fiction and the documentary form together, the film’s trailer employs the form of a love letter while foregrounding footage from the FTII as it embarks on a rumination of political choice, dissent and the education system at large.

Kapadia’s films have a dreamlike quality with elements of fantasy woven seamlessly into real events. A Night Of Knowing Nothing addresses the strike by students of the film institute in response to the establishment and wonders about its aftereffects. The trailer gestures towards violence and its impact on L as she describes her troubled state of mind.

Kapadia is an alumna of FTII. Her short films include Afternoon Clouds and And What Is The Summer Saying. A Night Of Knowing Nothing is her feature debut.

Correction, 1945 IST: An earlier version of this report said the film would be released in New Delhi. It will be screened in New York City.